Temporary and part time workers are forming the driving engine of a growing number of service industries, and if you manage a retail, hospitality or tech business, you may live this reality every day. But while contingency and temporary staffing offer a long list of benefits, temporary teams also come with a unique set of challenges. Most critical, how can you motivate an employee who may have no long term investment in the success of you company? Can you convince her to treat the business and its customers the way you would—or even better?
You can. And if you hope to thrive in a contingency-based economy, you should probably start right now. Try these tips.
1. Hire smart.
As always, excellent hiring practices provide the best way to avoid staffing problems before they begin. Know exactly what kinds of traits you want for each open position, and then have the patience and confidence to keep looking until you find them. A hint: search for attitude and enthusiasm, not basic skill sets. Most skills can be taught on the job, but attitude and adaptability can’t. Tighten your interview script and keep your questions open ended.
2. Offer long term rewards… and follow through.
If you intend to reward your top employees and hardest workers with full time offers, make this very clear from the beginning and define the terms of the agreement in writing. Employees should have clear benchmarks to strive for, and they should respect you and trust that you’ll follow through on your end of the deal.
3. Thank them.
Show your appreciation every time you catch a temp employee doing something right. Tune in to each customer interaction and listen for positive notes. Remember what you hear, and offer specific and meaningful praise for a job well done. Even employees who complete the bare minimum should be thanked on a regular basis for their efforts.
4. Make your workplace feel like family.
The best way to generate loyalty is to be loyal. And the best way to earn respect is to show respect. Give your temp employees the benefit of the doubt regarding customer complaints, and if they struggle, provide them with training and coaching, not criticism and threats. If they feel like they’re growing here, and they feeling like they’re gaining something in exchange for their efforts, they’ll start putting down roots and personally investing in the success of the company.
For more on how to motivate your temp employees and get the most out of temp and part time relationships, reach out to the MA staffing experts at Techneeds. If you are looking for temp agencies in Salem NH, contact us today.